


That's My Desire

by redandwhiteroses



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, F/M, M/M, Possessive Behavior, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reader-Insert, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Stalking, Starts out as unhealthy but ends up healthy, Sugar Daddy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:40:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22888597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redandwhiteroses/pseuds/redandwhiteroses
Summary: To hear you whisper low, just when it's time to goCherie, I love you so, that's my desireSchool and bills seem to be piling up, and you have no time to work, so you decide to become a sugar baby. Surprisingly, you end up a sugar baby to one Steve Rogers and one James Barnes. You think it's mere luck, but they think otherwise.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 158





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know there's a lot of sugar baby aus for Steve, but I haven't seen many with both Steve and Bucky. So I thought I'd try it.

You sit in the corner of the coffee shop, trying, and failing, to resist the urge to bounce your leg. You reach for your coffee. As you do, to take a quick look around the room. No one seems to be looking for you. Well, one dude in the opposite corner occasionally glances at you, but it’s not enough to make you even more nervous than you already were. You sigh and resist the urge to check your watch. You had gotten here plenty early, so you weren’t surprised he wasn’t here yet. 

The doorbell jingles, and you look up to see who it is. Your jaw nearly falls to the floor when you see who it is, and you do a double take. It can’t... What the...

Captain America just walked into the coffee shop.

THE Captain America just walked into the coffee shop you are in.

You blink several times, a dopey grin slowly spreading across your face. You never thought you’d be the type to get starstruck, but here you are. You probably look like an idiot. It takes all of your effort to not put your elbows on the table and prop your chin up on your hands. 

Cap- Steve. Steve Rogers scans the room. He seems to be looking for something, maybe someone? You aren’t sure yet. A stupid part of you hopes it’s you. His blue eyes flit across the room and stop when he sees you. Part of you thinks it’s a joke, that he can’t possibly be looking at you, but then he’s headed your way.

He reaches your table and hesitantly says your name. 

“Hi.” You manage to squeak. He sits across from you at the table.

“I know this is unexpected, but I’m...” He pauses. Your eyes widen ever so slightly.

“Are you Captain.G.R.?” You find your voice. Steve nods. His cheeks are ever-so slightly tinged pink. 

“If this is awkward or weird for you, we don’t ha-”

“No. This is good. Unexpected but... good.” You can feel the dopey grin start to come back, so you decide to hide it by taking a sip of your drink. “It certainly explains a lot.”

“It does?” He frowns ever so slightly in confusion.

“Yeah. Wanting to meet when it’s not busy here, being overseas.” You trail off for a second before letting out a pleased laugh. “Sorry. I’m just- Are you sure you were looking for me? That you’re not here to meet someone else? Because it can’t be me.”

“No, I’m definitely here to meet you.” A smile begins tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’ve seen your picture enough to know you on sight. Because it shows up everytime we messaged, not because I’m a creep!” He takes a moment to rub his face with his hands, and you let out a little snort of laughter. He seems so flustered, and it’s very endearing.

“I didn’t take it that way, don’t worry.” You tell him. Instinctively, you reach out a hand across the table. For a second, you want to be embarrassed because he just looks at you. But then a smile makes its way back onto his face, and he takes your proffered hand in his. 

“Your voice kinda confirmed it too.” You arch an eyebrow at that.

“What? Are you saying I sound too southern for this place?” You joke. He lets out a noise that might be a huff of laughter.

“I was more going for that we’ve talked enough over the phone, but yeah. Your accent did give you away.” He blushes again. “God, I’m not trying to make fun of you by saying that. I think it’s really cute actually.” Steve cuts himself off. “I’m sorry. I just- It’s been a while, and I was never good with this kind of stuff in the first place.” You can feel him idly rubbing his thumb across the back of your hand. For a moment, you consider taking your hand back, but you don’t. It feels nice.

“If it’s any consolation, it’s been a bit for me too.” You don’t mean for your voice to go as soft as it does. He gives you a quizzical look, letting go of your hand.

“You’re kidding me, right?” You shake your head. “You mean, you don’t have guys practically knocking down your door? No one to take care of you?” He seems to be genuinely confused. 

“It’s no big deal. I shouldn’t ha-”

“Wow. I don’t understand. You’re- I’m really not trying to come off as super forward here, but you’re gorgeous.” It’s your turn to blush now.

“That means a lot, coming from America’s resident heartthrob. What was it, ‘America’s Sexiest Icon’ you got recently?” He lets out a groan at that, running his hands over his face again.

“Not you too. Sam only just shut up about that, and Tony’s still being bitter over it.”

You pause for a second before laughing. “Wait. I gotta ask. Was it Sam or Tony who asked if I really used y’all unironically the first time we called?”

“Sam asked about y’all, and Tony was the one who tried to get you to use y’all’d’ve.” He huffs, although it’s clear America’s darling isn’t actually upset. “I feel like I should go ahead and apologize because if you ever want to meet them, all you’re going to hear is about you saying that.”

You snort at that.

“If Tony does like nicknames as much as the press seems to think, I’m sure he’s coming up with something involving y’all or yeehaw.” Steve makes another noise, but the slight pink tinge to his cheek tells you a lot.

“Yeah. He has.” You laugh at that. You’re surprised at how natural things seem to feel between the two of you already. It’s comfortable. It probably helps the two of you have been talking over the phone for a while now. Steve is looking at you, an intense expression on his face. He’s clearly mulling something over, trying to make up his mind. It doesn’t take long for him to decide, if his determined expression is anything to go by. He leans towards you, and you can't help mirroring him. 

"I- I would like to continue with this, but I need to tell you something first. And I understand if you don't want to go ahead after I say this."

Your brow furrows. "Should I be worried?"

"No! No, it's just- I'm about to propose something very unorthodox." He shifts in his chair. "I'm sure you read about Bucky."

"Yeah...?"

"He's wary, so he did some research on you. Don't be freaked out. He does this with almost everyone.” Steve lets out a soft noise. “But he... Look, this was more my idea than his. I think it’d be good for him to trust more people.”

“Steve. Darlin’. You’re rambling.” He looks at you and slowly nods.

“Okay. I think it would be a good idea for both me and Bucky to be your sugar daddies. Just me and Bucky. We’ll take care of everything, and I do mean everything. Pay for you to finish school and your apartment and ju- whatever you need. I don’t know what Bucky will want, but all I’m going to ask of you is to try and get him to open up? I might ask you to go to some events with me, but those aren’t my priority. My pri-” You place a finger on his lips, and he stops. 

“I’ll do it.” You say. “You don’t even have to pay me for that. I’d do that for free.”

Some tension seems to leave his shoulders. 

“Thank you.” He breathes. “I hadn’t originally planned on asking you, but he seemed to be okay with you.” A shadow falls on your table. You look up and nearly jump. You hadn’t heard anyone come over to the table, but someone is standing beside the two of you. It’s the guy who’d been looking around earlier. You have a good idea of who he might be. You decide to take the moment and hold out your hand, introducing yourself. The stranger does indeed confirm who he is. 

“Bucky.” Is his simple reply once he shakes your hand. He sits next to Steve. He’s hard to read, almost as if he doesn’t know how to be any other way. Steve looks between the two of you, almost as if waiting for something.

“I’m guessing you heard my reply.” You break the silence first. Bucky nods.

“I only have one thing to add to what Steve said.” He shifts, as if trying to make himself more comfortable. “I don’t want anyone else coming into this.” You tilt your head to the side. 

“Define how so. Do you mean it in the “don’t tell anyone” way, or is there something more?” It’s curious how Steve seems to have fallen back some. He’s watching you, as if he’s waiting for something or worried about something. Bucky sighs.

“Yeah. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t get in any romantic relationships either. Steve,” Here he stops and gives the other man a look, “didn’t want to bring it up. If this ends up working out, I don’t want you to be in any romantic relationships.”

For a moment, you want to be offended. A spike of anger rises up, and you go to say something, but then you stop yourself. If all of the terrible things you heard happen to Bucky were true, and you suspect they were, you understood his paranoia. A vague memory floats to the forefront of your mind, making your skin crawl.

“Of course. Friendships have to be fine, though. I draw the line there.”

“Of course.” Steve nods. His look has changed just slightly, and he glances at his friend. They seem to be sharing some sort of quiet conversation. You watch the two of them, trying to figure out what they’re saying without words. Eventually, they turn back to you.

“Both Bucky and I need to catch up on a lot of pop culture.” Steve gives you a smile. It’s the sort of smile that makes your heart flutter. “Where do you think we should start?”  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the date goes very well. You can tell Bucky’s initial demeanour is due to being on different grounds. He warms up some, and by the time you have to head out, he’s added a good amount to the conversation. The two of you had a good back and forth at one point. You head to your class and then back to the apartment you call home. You’ve just gotten into your apartment, sliding your shoes off, when your phone rings. You frown and look at who it is.

“Hey, Steve! I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” You pick up your shoes and put them in their place. If you don’t do it now, you’ll forget about it. 

“I’m sorry if the no romantic relationships thing threw you off.” You blink.

“Yeah, it did, but I also get it.” You pad softly towards your kitchen. “People are out to get him, hurt him, and that’s just another way they could get into his life. I understand that completely.”

“Thank you.” You can hear the sigh of relief from Steve. “I was worried that it came off as possessive. I know that’s the last thing you want right now.”

“Yeah.” You chuckle, taking a look at your fridge. “Yeah, it is.”

“I know you don’t want to tell me what happened, but I wish you would.” You stop, a slow frown forming on your face.

“What are you talking about?” You try to go for confused, but it comes out more as guarded. He laughs on the other line, although it’s not amused in the slightest.

“I can tell someone did something to you.” He seems to be searching for the right words. “A gorgeous woman like you just doesn’t not get dates and isn’t okay with not looking for a guy, or gal!, out of nowhere.”

“Who says anything happened?” You go for nonchalant. Steve huffs.

“Please make this easy on me. Getting Bucky to talk about anything that happened to him is worse than pulling teeth. I don’t need two people doing it.”

“Steve...”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed.” He sounds so young all of a sudden. “I just want to take care of my gal. Our gal.”

You try to ignore the way your inside curl pleasantly at those last words. You place a hand on the handle of your fridge. “I’ll tell you. Not tonight, and it’ll probably be a while. But I’ll tell you. Okay?”

“Okay.”

A thought makes you snort. “I’m not telling Bucky, though.”  
“Why not?”

“Steve. You’re the sort of person who would beat up someone who hurt a friend, but you won’t go out of your way to do it. I think Bucky might.”

He laughs at that. “Yeah, you might be right.”

“Can I ask an inappropriate question? Well, somewhat.” You ease the door open to grab food.

“Sure?” You can almost hear Steve’s eyebrows go up. “What is it?”

“I’m just...” You gnaw at your bottom lip as you think about how you want to word the question. “Are hook-ups out of the question? Because otherwise y’all are going to have to buy me a lot of vibrators.”

You expect Steve to tell you he doesn’t know or ask what a vibrator is, but he surprises you completely. 

“I did say I’d get you anything you need. I’m here to take care of you.” His voice is soft, as if gently reminding you of a promise. But there’s a dark undertone to it, as if he’s teasing you. It’s full of implications that make you suddenly feel weak in the knees.

“Bucky was right. You are a punk.” Your tone holds no real malice. He laughs at that.

“I’ll talk to Bucky and see what his stance is on that.” He sounds far too amused for your liking. The two of you go back and forth before calling it a night. You’re sure he meant nothing by it, but the unspoken promise in Steve’s voice makes your rub your thighs together as you try to get some sleep.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------

Bucky’s phone rings. He answers it without looking. Only one person knows his number, and only one person would bother to call him.

“What’d you say to her?” He asks, his voice thick with amusement.

“Nothing bad, if that’s what you’re asking.” His best friend seems too smug for his liking.

“Whatever you said to her got her riled up. Lots of shifting before she fell asleep.” He settles himself in the chair in his room. Old habits die hard. Steve made him promise to not stake out her place, but he didn’t forbid audio material. Cameras were limited to main areas, so as not to disturb your privacy too much. Bucky snorted at that. Steve was fine when it came to putting wires all around your apartment, but when it came to cameras, he was suddenly a gentleman.

“Fuck.” Steve’s voice comes out as a hiss. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”

“Are you talking about restraint or...?”

“And you call me a punk.” Bucky can hear Steve moving. He sounds like he might be walking around his room. Probably packing for the next mission. “What do we tell her? I don’t want to come right out and say she can only sleep with us.”

“Easy.” Bucky flips open his laptop, pulling up a news site. His eyes scan the page, but no words or phrases stick out to him. Thank God. No coded messages about him. “She knows I’m not okay with her being involved with someone else, so we just play off of that.” He pauses, running his tongue along his teeth. “But you sound like you want to rile her up more.”

“I do.” Steve bemoans. “I thought it’d be longer before we got to this point, but she’s got to be desperate if she brought it up so soon. Can I send her one? Is that too forward?”

“That’s up to you.” Bucky sinks further into his chair. “How long do you want to drag this out?”

“I don’t know.” Steve huffs. “I think I have an idea.”

“As long as it pleases our girl, I’m game.”


	2. Kill Bill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to try and flesh out Bucky, so this chapter is a bit more heavy with him.

The next week is rough, to say the least. Steve has to leave for another mission the day after the two of you met in the coffee shop. He had told you he had plenty of time to see you. The mission seemed to blindside him as much as it did you. You couldn’t hold it against him; he was saving the world. A little part of you was a little upset, though. You did want to spend time with him in order to get to know him and Bucky better. It doesn’t help that you have several major exams three days in a row. You probably should be grateful that Steve wasn’t around because he would have been distracting, but you wish you had some sort of comfort. The weather has been shitty too, so that didn’t help.

The final straw came several days after Steve left. You had just gotten home from that last exam, and you were exhausted. Bone weary exhausted ready to collapse. Your phone lights up briefly. Your first thought is to ignore it, but it might be Steve. Cell service was apparently shitty wherever he was, but he had been able to send you messages here and there. So you flop onto the couch and look at your messages.

You stop.

Your heart begins beating, a fast tempo that soon feels like it's going to burst out of your chest. Your skin crawls, and you reflexively dig your nails into your palms. You start shaking, eyes going wide. You can’t help it, you lift your head and search around your apartment. You don’t think, you just act. You run to your door and slide the deadbolt into place. You always lock it behind you, but you never feel the need to use the deadbolt. Next, you race over to your curtains and slam them shut. You make sure all the windows in your small apartment are covered. It still doesn’t feel like enough, like you’re safe, so you go to your closet and crawl inside. God, it’d been ages since you’d been so scared that you felt the need to hide in the small space.

You can’t help it, you look at your phone again. Your brain glazes over the words, but your heart rate spikes again. You can feel your breathing pick up, and you reach out to touch something soft. Soft grounds you, makes you feel calm.

You let out an unholy string of curses when your phone rings. You look at the caller ID and answer it.

The question of how Bucky got your phone number was one for later.

“Hey!” You try to sound cheerful, not like you’re in the middle of a mounting panic attack. “What’s up?”

“Hey.” He responds. His gruff voice calms you slightly. “I just... wanted to check in on you.”

“I’m fine! Are you doing okay?” 

“Not really.” His voice is soft. “I could use some company. If you have time.”

“Of course!” You silently thank God. You hadn’t wanted company originally, but now, company would be a welcome distraction. “Do you want to meet somewhere?”

“I was thinking you could come over to my place.” He sounds almost embarrassed. “If you’re okay with that.”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” You tease. “Do you want to give me your address?”

“How about you give me yours, and I pick you up.” It’s not a question, although a hint of uncertainty is in his tone. You tell him your address. 

“Great. I’m headed your way.”

“Text me when you’re close.” You tell him. He makes a noise of agreement before hanging up.

It doesn’t take long to get a text telling you he’s a couple minutes away. You had just enough time to clean up slightly before heading downstairs. An unfamiliar car is parked in the lot, and when you go towards it, you can see Bucky sitting in the driver’s seat. You knock on the passenger door before opening it and sliding into the seat. He gives you a small smile before heading out and towards his place.

“So, why are you not doing okay? Or do you not want to talk about it?” You start.

“Lonely.” He says the word as if it's unfamiliar. “I don’t talk to a lot of people outside of Steve and a couple others.”

“Got that empty feeling going on?” You tease. He looks at you.

“Something like that.” He turns back to the road. “How are you doing? And be honest this time.”

“I’m doing fi-”

“Don’t. Don’t lie to me.” His tone is harsh, but the look he gives you is amused. Bucky’s voice softens. “I know a panic attack when I hear one, and you still look like you’re trying so hard to hold it together.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding.

“Ah, well. Not too good.” You’re quiet for a moment, trying to decide if you want to tell him. You know that you said you wouldn’t say anything, but the words want to bubble out of you anyway. “Ah, someone from my past contacted me, and I... They were no good for me.”

“No good for you?” He arches an eyebrow. “Does that still mean the same as it did Before?”

You let out a snort. “Yeah, it probably does.”

Out of the corner of your eyes, you can see his hands tighten on the steering wheel. You want to reassure him, but you don’t know how. 

“I’ll be fine. It’s not the worst thing. It just took me by surprise is all.” He makes a noise that indicates he doesn’t believe you in the slightest. The car stops at a gate. Once it opens, the car pulls into a neighborhood, causing your eyebrows to shoot up. “Huh. I would have thought you were with the rest of the Avengers.”

“We all have rooms there. I don’t stay there unless I have to.” His reply is short, and you sense some sort of history in there. 

“I like it, though. I get the feeling a house is more your speed.” Bucky’s confused face makes you laugh. “Sorry. I just... I don’t know how to explain it. Apartment living seems too busy and chaotic for you.”

“Yeah. I get what you’re saying.” He stops in front of another gate at a driveway. The gate opens up as well, and you go through. The garage slowly opens as well. “I like having a house more. It feels more domestic.” A smile tries to make its way onto your face. He clearly likes the idea of domesticity.

“Do you and Steve share this place?” You ask once the two of you are outside of the car. 

“Yup.” Bucky closes the door and heads towards the side door of the house, you following closely behind. He opens the door and lets you through. He’s looking at you fairly intensely.

“The living room is to the left if you want to go there. I’ll be there in a minute.” With that, he disappears into the house. Slowly, you head in the direction he pointed. You can see why he gets lonely; the place seems too big to only have two people living in it. Well, two people on and off. You turn to the left as he said, reaching around the corner to turn on the light. The living room makes you smile. It’s an odd blend of modern and 40s. A sofa and several arm chairs are in there, along with a piano and a coffee table. The furniture is obviously as close to the era as possible, but it’s well kept. A large flatscreen sits on one wall, a bookcase just below it. Several other bookcases are in the room, the large towering ones.

You venture further into the room. A lamp sits on a side table, and the beautiful stained glass lamp shade makes you stop.

“I didn’t take you to be a fan of lamps.” Bucky says from behind you, nearly making you scream in freight. As it is, you end up doubled over, one hand on your knees and the other of your heart.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Your fear has turned to laughter.

“Sorry, doll. Old habits.” He grins at you. “Do you want water or something?”

“I’m good for now.” Slowly, you straighten up. His grin hasn’t gone away.

“You’re cute when you’re startled.” He laughs at your indignant expression. You huff, mock pouting. That makes him laugh more, so you flop onto the sofa dramatically. Bucky slides on it beside you.

“I know Steve hasn’t said anything to you yet.” His tone suddenly changes, from playful to business. “But we’re hoping you’ll move in with us. We’re both worried about if something goes wrong.” You look at him. “Don’t feel pressure to say anything now, doll. I just want you to have more time to think about it.”

“I...” You trail off, unsure of how to respond. Bucky looks at you.

“Seriously, I’m not trying to pressure you. I just don’t want it to feel sprung on you.” He shrugs. 

“Thanks. That means a lot.” You bite your lower lip. Bucky seems to sense some of the awkwardness because he stands up suddenly.

“Steve says your favorite movie is Kill Bill?” You nod.

“Yeah, it’s one of them. It tends to be more of a comfort movie, though.” Bucky nods, making his way over to a movie cabinet you hadn’t seen earlier.

“Do you want to watch it?” He’s already pulled the dvd out before you respond.

“I- Yeah, but I’m not sure _you_ want to watch it.” He pauses at that.

“Why not?”

“I’m just worried it might bring up something bad.” Again, you bite your bottom lip. “It’s about an assassin who runs away from her group. They find her and try to kill her, but she survives. The movies follow her getting her revenge.”

“That might be something that’ll help me too.” He counters. You nod.

“It might.” Bucky gives you a look that quietly thanks you for not arguing with him before he goes over and puts it into the DVD player. You scoot over to give him room on the sofa when he comes back. He sits down and motions for you to come closer, so you do. He pulls you under his arm, wrapping it lightly around your shoulders. You can’t help leaning into him as the movie starts.

As the movie plays, you find yourself mouthing along to some of the lines. Bucky seems entranced by it. His fingers find your hair, and he begins running them through the ends. He seems to be doing fine, although you notice him flinch at a couple lines. You take his free hand, his regular arm you realize, and thread your fingers through his as The Bride talks with Vernita. He slowly relaxes in response.

The two of you are well into the movie when Bucky pauses. It’s just after The Bride gets her sword from Hanzo, and you look at him in confusion. Bucky sits up.

“That person you were talking about earlier. Are they your Bill?” You blink.

“Yeah.” You slowly nod in response. “One of them.” Anger flashes across Bucky’s face. “It’s okay. It’s in the past, and that’s what is important.” He seems slightly placated by your response and starts the movie again.

It’s an interesting experience watching this particular movie with him. You can tell it does affect him, given that there are some scenes where he stiffens up, as if he felt the words were directed at him. But he also seems to slowly relax as well. You can almost see the tension leaving his body, and he becomes a little more affectionate as the movie goes on. He pulls you closer to him. You can hear the soft, rumbling laugh when you put your head on his chest, and he scratches your scalp lightly.

It’s so domestic and soft. It surprises you. You can’t help the smile that makes its way onto your face. The night looks like it’s going in a better direction than it did earlier. You don’t have to say anything when the movie ends; Bucky gets up and grabs the second volume. You nod in response, a fond smile playing on your lips. He’s just about to start it when the phone rings. Your phone. You frown.

“Hello?” You answer cautiously.

“Hey! It’s me.” The voice makes your blood run cold. There’s no mistaking the panic in your eyes. You can’t move, can’t think straight, as the familiar voice filters through the phone. “I just wanted to call you because I wasn’t sure you saw my messa-”

Thankfully, you have enough presence of mind to hang up. Your heart is pounding in your chest. You risk a look at Bucky, and he looks furious. You can practically hear the gears in his metal arm whirring. You want to flinch, but you’re paralyzed with fear. 

“Give me the phone.” Bucky speaks first, his tone steely. You don’t know his plan, but you hold your phone closer.

“No.”

“Give me the phone.” His words harden even more. You shake your head.

“No. It’s not that big of a deal.” You open your mouth before he can argue. “I’ve been dealing with this for a while now, and I can keep doing so. Besides,” your tone softens, “I don’t want you getting into trouble because of me.”

“You’re worth it.” He counter instantly. You laugh at that, although it’s not a happy one.

“It doesn’t matter if I am. I don’t want you doing it.” He falters for a second. “I know you’ll probably find out anyway, but I can at least wash my hands of it this way.” He still doesn’t look happy, so you tuck your phone in your pocket before pulling him close. He’s slow to move but eventually lets you move him towards you. “If you want to help, sitting here with me watching this movie will help a lot.”

Bucky’s posture softens some, and he settles on the sofa. You curl up beside him, trying to get as close as possible. The tiredness you felt earlier comes back and hits you full force. Despite his anger scaring you, you felt safe and at ease around Bucky. You watch the movie through half-lidded eyes. This time, Bucky puts his metal arm on your hip and rests his hand lightly there. His other hand goes to your hair again. Neither of you speak during the second part. 

At some point, you must have fallen asleep because the tv is off and Bucky nowhere to be found. A flare of panic runs through you, and you bolt upright. Thankfully, you can hear him on the phone in the kitchen. His voice is soft, as if he assumes you’re still asleep and is trying not to wake you. You slowly move off the sofa and head towards the sound of his voice. He sounds like he’s debating with someone. You’ve barely rounded the corner when he stops talking. He looks at you and puts a hand over the receiver. 

“Steve finally was able to call.” He’s scanning your face as he waits for an answer. You nod.

“Yeah. I’ll talk to him.” Bucky hands the phone over.

“Hey.” You murmur, your voice still thick with sleep. Steve lets out a tired chuckle.

“Are you alright there, doll? You sound kind of tired.”   
“I am. I’m with Bucky right now, but I fell asleep on the couch.” You stifle a yawn.

“Bucky told me about that.” Steve’s voice is so soft and gentle, it makes you smile. “I didn’t think you could fall asleep during a movie.”

“Not often, no.” You pad quietly over to Bucky. He’s not looking at you, intent on turning his laptop on. On a whim, you come up behind him and wrap your arms around him. He stiffens, and for a second, you’re afraid you’ve overstepped your boundaries. You go to pull away. One hand grabs yours, ensuring that your arms stay wrapped around him. His grip is tight at first, but he eases up once he’s sure that you’re not moving. “How’d everything go?”

“Okay.” He sounds exhausted. “It didn’t go as well as I wanted. People are safe, though. That’s what matters.” It sounds like something he’s said to himself a lot.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not right now, no. We can when I get back.” You can hear him shift, most likely stretching. “We’ve got to talk anyway.”

“Oh? That doesn’t sound good.” Bucky lets out a soft noise of amusement.

“Smart girl.” He murmurs.

“It’s not bad.” Steve counters. “We just need to talk.”

“About what?”

“You know what. Bucky told me what happened.” The color drains from your cheeks. “I’m not going to press for details, but we do need to at least discuss it.”

“Why?” Your voice comes out more whiny than you meant it to, and that prompts another mirthful noise from Bucky.

“You’re cute when you’re tired.” He tells you. Steve huffs on the other end of the phone.

“Because it sounds like you’re downplaying it to try and not worry us, and I don’t like that.” His tone is surprisingly stern. It makes you feel like a kid who did something wrong. He sighs. “I don’t want you keeping secrets from us. And that includes stuff like this.”

“I’m not keeping secrets.” You try to argue. Bucky turns, and you nearly laugh at the expression of disbelief on his face. 

“Not telling us something like this is keeping secrets.” Steve’s tone tells you there’s no argument. “You need to get to sleep. We’ll talk this over more when I get back.” 

Wordlessly, you hand the phone back over to Bucky before going back to the living room. You can hear the two of them talking, although you can’t make out words. You lay back down on the couch. After a couple minutes, Bucky comes back into the living room. A small smile graces his face when he sees you. 

“Alright. Come on.” He motions towards the door. You crack one eye open.

“Can I- Nevermind. It’s stupid.”

“Do you want to stay here?” Bucky’s voice is surprisingly soft. He’s searching your face, looking for something. You nod. You want to ask how he knew, but it must have been obvious from your facial expression. 

“If that’s alright.” Your voice comes out small and reflects just how exhausting the day has been for you. 

“I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t. We’ve got a spare room if you’d like it.” You nod. He steps towards you. You nearly squeak in surprise when he picks you up as if you weighed nothing, settling you so he’s carrying you almost bridal style. He laughs, an actual laugh, at your reaction. You loop your arms around his neck to make sure you don’t fall.

“You know,” He looks at you seriously, although something is sparkling in his eyes that makes you feel what he’s about to say isn’t serious. “You’ve got a couple things you need to learn.”

“Like what?” You raise your chin as much as you can. It feels like he’s carrying you up some stairs.

“You need to start demanding what you want, doll. Not waiting for it to be offered. Not asking. Demanding it.” Though his tone is humorous, you sense that he’s being serious. “You’re letting people walk over you.”

“And how do you know that?” You huff in mock-indignation. He shifts, weight going to one side as he nudges the door to the room you’re going to be in open. He gives you a look.

“Because I just do.” He gently puts you on the bed. “Now go to bed.” He turns to leave.

“Bucky?”

“Yes?” He’s not facing you, but something tells you he’s amused. Maybe it’s his tone.

“Stay with me.”

“Are you asking or demanding?” You try to suppress your laugh.

“Demanding.” You respond, trying not to roll your eyes. He mock sighs, and you lose it.

“I guess.” He comes over to the bed gently pushes you until there’s enough room for him on it as well. 

“You’ve got another thing to learn.” He wraps an arm around you.

“What? I don’t demand things of you?” You stick out your tongue.

“Great. I've got to deal with two punks now."


End file.
